Next up on the reading list:
Star Wars Crimson Empire. It takes place immediately after the events chronicled in Dark Empire.
This is another epic. The hardback I have is over 500 pages long, containing all three Crimson Empire stories, the two side stories, and the Crimson Empire Handbook.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Star Wars, baby! STAR WARS!
I'll give you a taste....
The lights go down. You see and hear the familiar 20th Century Fox logo and music as you munch from your gigantic bucket of heavily buttered popcorn.
BLAM! THE MUSIC STARTS! Followed by the opening crawl.
STAR WARS
CRIMSON EMPIRE
It is a time of turmoil. The last of the Emperor Palpatine's clones has been destroyed by the Rebel Skywalker and his allies, and control of the Empire is up for grabs. A temporary ruling Council has formed behind the scenes to maintain order, but the Council itself is splintered--divided by the conflicting ambitions of its members. Intrigue, deception, and betrayal are commonplace as those who would replace the Emperor pursue their goals.
One man, Carnor Jax, holds sway over the Council. He knows the secrets about the members of the ruling body that could destroy their control and further weaken the Empire. He uses this knowledge to force the creation of a special position for himself within the Council.
Jax's plan is actually much more ambitious than the Council members know: he seeks to position himself as a new Dark Lord--with the aid of the equally ambitious General Wessel--and eventually ascend to Palpatine's throne.
One other knows the Council's secrets--and Jax's ambitions. Hiding on the Galaxy's outer edges, he bides his time, awaiting his chance to destroy them all....
As the gold words disappear at the top of the screen, you're staring at the familiar star field. Then the view pans down. You're looking at a brown-ish planet with a ring system. This is Zaddja, a mostly barren planet far beyond the center of Imperial activity.
Zoom. A ship passes from underneath you onto the screen. It's a small cruiser.
"Landing party, this is the Destiny. Do you read me? What is your situation?"
"Ah...Destiny. This is Landing Party. We lost three ships coming through the asteroid shroud, but squad two is intact."
"Then, what are you waiting for? Squad Two, proceed with your mission."
The scene changes to the surface of the planet. A ship in the distance, it's boarding ramp open. A long stream of white figures trail across the rocky terrain. Stormtroopers.
They approach a structure in the side of the rock. It's obviously a door--the entryway to the tunneled out interior. You see the stormtrooper commander wave commands at his squad. The troopers fan out, moving into flanking positions, weapons ready.
One trooper moves to the door. His hand stretches out. He grips the handle...
BLAM!
The explosion vaporizes him and most of the troopers.
The squad commander is thrown back down the side of the hillface, his armor scraping on the rock. When the dust settles, you can see that he's still moving.
"Squad Two...eh...to Command," the trooper is breathless. "Location was a...ah...a trap."
Now the scene changes again, on a different world. Green trees rise in the distance before you. Three close moons can be see in the night sky. Phaeda. A trading world. Under Imperial control, it's still a haven for smugglers, thieves, and others who wish to escape the notice of the Empire.
Your point of view is now over the spaceport. Modern structures rise in the distance. Air traffic is brisk. A block-shaped transports lands on a pad.
Now we cut to the closed hatch on that transport. The angle is low. The doors open, and we see a pair of black boots of a biped exiting the craft, trailing a cloak.
There's a platform guard that raises his hand, "Show your identification and state your business."
Now, we see the top of the figure, but his face is hooded with a cowl. His arms move beneath his cloak, "I am but a traveling merchant, looking for a new trade. My identification." He hands the platform guard a small box.
The guard opens the lid, then eyeballs the figure from under his helmet. You can now see what the guard is looking at--coins. Imperial credits. The guard tips the box. The coins fall into his gloved hand. "Yes. Go on about your business."
The cloaked figure resumes his path into the port, and in the distance over his shoulder, you see the guard move to another figure on the pad. "You there, halt!" But, you can barely hear what he says.
Now, the view is of the inside of a tapcafe. The place is full of business, aliens and humanoids alike. Your view moves to a table of Imperial Officers. you can hear their discussion, but you also notice, in the distance, that the cloaked figure has entered the bar.
In moments, one of the Officers notices the robed man, who has taken a seat nearby. "You! Why are you listing to conversations that do not concern you!"
There is no idication that the robed man heard the Imperial speak. And, the Officer rises from his chair and approaches the other's table. "Speak up, man!"
The voice once again exits the dark opening in the man's cowl. "You and your group have nothing to fear from me. Why don't you return to your table and enjoy what's left of the evening?"
The Officer pulls his sidearm, and his comrades stand to back him. "Don't you know that when an Imperial Officer asks you a question, you has best give a direct answer?"
Now, the cowled man stands, but still, you cannot see his face. "I'll ask a second time--return to your table, and you won't be harmed."
The Officer smiles, but there is a look of incredulty in his eyes. He's pointing a blaster right at this imbecile! His arm raises, pointing at the man's head...
But, before that small action is completed, the cowled man moves like lighting. His arm jets out from under the robe. He's holding a long, cylindrical device. Long blades fire out of both ends, making it a double bladed polearm. Helocoptering over his head, the weapon slices through the Imperial's gut, and the man falls.
All this...before the Imperial could raise his blaster from his waist to point at the cowled one's head.
The other Imperials are stunned. They look down at their fallen comrade, bleeding on the ground, then back up at the armed warior, who's face they still cannot see.
"Let me pass," the warrior tells them, "and I'll let you live."
Of course, Imperials aren't that smart. One moves. They all move. And the warrior becomes a ballet of death.
Other patrons scramble to get out of this killing machine's way. Stormtroopers enter the scene, but this does not even slow the man in the robe. He slices through them like an aircraft propeller, moving almost as if in a dance.
The action stops. The point of view is high, looking down. The robed man stands, with Imperial bodies all around him.
Good God, I'm ready for another epic. And this one...it's not your standard Star Wars.
I'm intrigued.
